We Remain
by bakerswiife
Summary: "We now know that whatever happens, we remain, as family, as lovers, as friends, protectors and parents." Peeta explains him and Katniss' experience with having their newborn daughter. Everlark Post Mockingjay.


I lean up against the narrow door frame of our daughter's bedroom, Katniss is standing facing the icy window, her small hand holding our daugther's bottom and gently cradling her tiny head. I smile seeing her holding the small baby, she's only three weeks old and I never expected Katniss to spend this much time with her after she'd had so many regrets during her pregnancy. She'd spend days pent up in her bedroom, crying and worrying over becoming a mother and now she couldn't imagine life without her. Now, whenever Ivy's small cries come from the baby moniter, Katniss rushes out of bed and to her aid making sure she's okay. I insist on doing it, but Katniss is stubborn and only refuses.

_Our_ daughter Ivy Mellark, a brown haired blue eyed baby girl who'd I'd fell in love with as soon as I laid eyes on her, just like her mother.

I stand there watching the two of them for a while before Katniss turns and smiles at me, making sure not to wake the tiny baby in her arms. "I thought you'd gone back to sleep." She whispers tucking herself into my side, Ivy is still cradled in her arms and has now fallen asleep.

"Couldn't," I say "I figured I'd see how you were doing in here." I smile and kiss the top of her head gently. I look down at Ivy, her eyes are closed shut and she's breathing lightly. She's dressed in a green sleeper that Effie had sent us from the capitol. Her whispy brown hair is growing more and more each day, and just comes down to touch the top of her forehead.

"You're doing a great job you know," I tell her quietly admiring her and Ivy who relaxes in her mother's protective arms. "You don't have any regrets do you?" I ask quietly, stroking Ivy's brown curls that grow on the top of her head.

"No," She smiles shaking her head "Not at all, I couldn't imagine life without her...or you." She tells me, her gray eyes gazing into mine.

"Good, because I couldn't either." I say bending down to kiss her soft lips. It's a short kiss, but her lips feel just right against mine and I've missed them too much. For almost a month after Katniss had found out she was pregnant, the two of us would barely touch. The days she spent pent up in our bedroom were countless and trying to speak to her was almost impossible. The amount of guilt left on my part was almost unbearable. I had always dreamed of having children with a wife who would love and cherish them, but that wasn't the case with Katniss. The night that it happened, we knew the possibility of pregnancy but we didn't pay it any mind until she began having symptoms. Morning sickness, cravings and hormones. We finally decided to get Effie to send us a pregnancy test from the capitol and that's when we saw the plus sign that would change our lives forever.

After reading the words, I was overcome with feelings of joy and excitement while Katniss weeped in my arms for hours mumbling about how she could never be a mother, or protect a child in the world we lived in. The games were over, but Katniss had always feared motherhood. It wasn't until Ivy was born and she saw her face, that she realized that she would have to try her hardest to become a good mother and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that she couldn't. Here we are now, a happy couple with a healthy baby who we couldn't love any more than we do.

"I'm sorry I was so distant." She whispers, tears well up in her eyes and she rests her head on my shoulder. Her eyes stare blankly at the hardwood floor and my eyes begin to tear up as well as I recall the memories of having to make sure she ate, and showered while I slept on the couch while she was locked up in her bedroom crying while there was no way I could get to her without her having a mental breakdown.

"Katniss, I was so worried for you, for her," I whisper glancing down at Ivy who is still snuggled in her mother's arms "But you're doing it, you're becoming a great mother and no matter what, we have to do this together." I tell her softly, kissing her forehead.

Katniss nods, "I know, I won't become my mother," She sobs "I'll be here for her, for you, I promise." She smiles and does up one of Ivy's buttons on her onesie that has come undone.

"I still can't get over how much she looks like you." I smile, looking at Katniss and then Ivy who is still sound asleep, she'd always been a heavy sleeper, like I used to be before the games.

"I can only hope she has your personality." She laughs, holding the baby steadily in her arms.

"I hope so too, I don't know if I'll be able to handle someone else as stubborn as you." I tease, elbowing her in the side causing her to start laughing again. It's a rare thing to see Katniss laughing, it was hard to even get a smile from her before. Now after the weeks following Ivy's birth Katniss couldn't be happier, and neither could I and we now know that no matter what happens, we remain. We remain as a family, as lovers, friends, protectors and parents.

**Hello everyone! I'm sure this was a surprise, and I just wanted to write a short one-shot about the Mellark Family post Mockingjay. I hope you enjoyed it and make sure to leave a review! I wanted to make it longer but I wasn't too sure on what else to add, but I hope you enjoy it and let me know if you like reading one-shots and maybe I'll write some more! If you have anything in specific you'd like me to write, make sure to let me know whether it's sending me a private message or on tumblr ( .com) I got the idea for the title from the song We Remain, by Christina Aguilara if any were wondering. Thank you for reading and don't forget to leave a review! I hope the holidays are going well for everyone. FFY should be updated soon (:**


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